


You are incredible

by hoestreet



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: F/M, FP being cute, Good Parent FP Jones II, Jughead Jones & Veronica Lodge Friendship, Protective FP Jones II, Protective Jughead Jones, Sad Veronica Lodge, Veronica buying pops, and caring, basically everyone is worried for veronica, i guess for now, soft ass jeronica, speakeasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 02:43:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15378954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoestreet/pseuds/hoestreet
Summary: Jughead realises the depth of what Veronica did for him.





	You are incredible

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy it. This was requested by some of my tumblr mutuals and tbh I write a fair amount of pointless shit on there so feel free to check it out, it's also hoestreet.

“Now even though we haven’t really started work on the speakeasy, I thought it would be beneficial to open Pop’s again soon. We’ll need more money coming in to be able to finish the place in some kind of timeframe and I am all out of cash Mr Jones.” She beamed up at him as she reached the bottom of the winding staircase to show the large area below. “I didn’t even know Pops had this huge sweep lying dormant down here, but I promise you, we are about to turn this lonely space into something enchanting. Whyte Wyrm refurbished if you like.”

FP laughed. “First off Veronica, you will refer to your partner as FP and FP only. None of that ‘Mr’ shit. Makes me feel old.”

She nodded to the side with a smile. “Affirmative Sir.” She led him further into the room, switching on the dull light as she walked past. The room was huge, old wooden floorboards creaked under foot, a winding bar ran the length of the far side and a large piece of taupe lay in the corner, hung over some old broken stools.

“I can picture it already,” FP said softly, and Veronica looked up to see the ghosting of a smile.

She walked forward a little more, motioning him to follow her. “I have some rough ideas. I’ve chalked out the outline for where the bar could possibly be extended to and there are some tables and chairs on sale in Greendale that I’ve asked to be reserved until you’ve seen them. Y’know, since this is your business.”

FP pressed his lips together, trying to stop the excited smile flood his features. “Veronica.” He shook his head and wiped a hand down his face. “I still can’t believe you’ve done all this for us.”

Veronica chuckled and pulled a slight face. “You needed a job and I provided. That’s all.”

He let out a breath and nodded, his eyes taking in the room again. They landed on a door behind the bar, almost blending in with the background. “What’s over there?”

“Just a little extra storage room. There’s another two over there,” Veronica pointed the opposite way. “They’re bigger so we probably won’t need the third. There’s a space in there that could be used as a dressing room too, with functioning showers, if we’re fancying some type of entertainment.” She opened the doors so FP could peer in. “I’m thinking cabaret or something similar. The poles are already here.”

“I’m not sure if I’m feeling the exploitation of young females in my new establishment,” FP half joked.

“FP. You are talking to a young recalcitrant feminist.” Veronica smiled. “I am in no way for the exploitation of women, nor the degradation of them to sexual objects. But I do know that there is an opportunity here for some amazing female dancers who want to make money. Nothing illegal, nothing disgusting. I’m not my parents.”

FP nodded with a slight frown at her last sentence. “So what’s that other room for?”

Veronica shrugged. “Thought I’d just keep it spare. In case of emergency or something.”

“Emergency?”

“If my parents kick me out.”

“Why? Why would they do that?”

Veronica forced out a quick laugh and started walking towards the stairs, suddenly anxious to finish the conversation. “I’m not sure. My Dad has his head very set on his business prospects. I’m just making sure I have backup options.” She took a deep breath and stood with a hand on the door. “I’m just going to talk to Pop Tate. Tell me what you think.”

FP was left with his thoughts, the girl’s footsteps echoing in the narrow staircase magnifying the realisation of the dangerous situation that she was in. She was on bad terms with the person who’s nearly killed his son, terms bad enough that she was thinking of living behind a bar in the basement of Pops. And the way she spoke about it so casually put him on edge, as if she’d already thought well into it as a possible change. FP pulled out his phone. Jughead needed to talk to her.

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The young serpent leant on the counter in Pops, head nodding to the loud music Veronica had put on. He’d let himself in and helped himself to a burger and fries, enjoying the calming atmosphere before the diner opened up to the public again.

“Jughead?” he turned at the slightly breathless voice to see Veronica holding a hand to her heart as if he scared her and smirked.

“Feeling a little jumpy princess?” he asked.

She glared. “Not funny,” she replied. “I’m too tired for your shit.” He watched her as she grabbed a mop from the corner and started scrubbing at the checkered tiles in persistent fervour, quietly taking in her slumped body language and dreary attire. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt that Jughead was almost positive she’d stole – as since when has she started owning shapeless t-shirts – and leggings with white stripes down the side and hair was frizzy and falling out of the high bun she’d quickly pushed it up into. Even though her outfit looked fresh and clean, it wasn’t something Jughead could imagine Veronica sleeping in, let alone being in public.

“So what do you and Hiram have planned now that you’ve given my Dad his job back?” Veronica grit her teeth silently as Jughead mentioned her Dad’s name, turning her head so he didn’t notice.

“Me and Daddy are on different agendas Jughead.”

“Oh I’m sure.”

“Be sure,” she said bluntly, giving him the side eye and brushing past him to clean the dust off the counter. “You can leave now. I’m trying to get this place ready to open again tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” he looked around. There were boxes everywhere, some from the random clutter that was downstairs and some product that had to be brought to the Shoppe storage room, and the whole place was dusty from misuse and basement unrest. “Why are you pushing to open so soon?”

“Because we have no money Jughead.”

“What about your dad?”

She stopped moving for a split second and Jughead swore he saw the muscles under her shirt visibly tense. “What about him?” she asked without turning around.

Jughead let that open ended question hang in the air for a while, not wanting to say anything more but hoping that Veronica would offer up extra information. She didn’t, and instead carried on cleaning up the counter and tables in silence.

He let his eyes rake over the place again. There was stuff everywhere and he knew that the kitchen must look even worse than the forefront of the shoppe. The building was completely empty, not another living soul helping out the raven haired girl. Not even Pop was chilling in the back and updating his menu choices. It was just Veronica and her sorry ass bun. He was still pissed at anything Lodge affiliated, obviously, but he also couldn’t let her clean the whole building in time for opening tomorrow without even offering his services. “Need help?”

“Nah,” she replied sharply, picking up a box. She blew her hair out of her face and marched past him and he followed her with a light frown.

“You sure?” he followed her round the back of the counter and through the kitchen, which was indeed as messy as he’d imagined. “If you do all this by yourself, you’ll be here until morning.”

“That’s the plan Jughead.”

He frowned and shook his head, stepping into the storage room behind her and shutting the door, keeping them both trapped in the small space. “Okay no, what’s going on? Either you tell me why the hell you haven’t hired some type of cleaner to do all this work or we will sit in here until the oxygen runs out. Which it won’t.”

“Shame.”

His eyes narrowed. “Answer the question.”

“I’m broke Jughead? I just brought this fucking place with every penny of my trust fund. How do you expect me to afford a fucking cleaner? This isn’t privilege central Jones.”

“Would’ve had me fooled.”

“Do you have any idea how privilege works?”

“No? I’m not the one who grew up in daddy’s wallet-”

Veronica sucked in a deep breath in frustration. “I’ve had it up to here with your mouth Jones,” Veronica yelled, stepping closer to the boy and glaring straight into his eyes, not letting them waver for a second, not showing a single moment of weakness in the hopes he’d back down and go home. He could feel the heat of her anger radiating from her aura and tried his hardest to fight off a smirk at pissing off the little rich girl. “Go home. You don’t even work here.”

“I don’t want to become one of Hiram’s puppets.”

Veronica laughed. It was this dark, ugly sound that Jughead hadn’t heard come from her before and he cocked his head to the side, watching her. “This is my place Jones. I bought this with my own money, out of my own purse. My dad has absolutely nothing to do with this. I did this.”

Jughead raised an eyebrow and opened the door, shrugging and not offering up anything else to add to the conversation.

“Make sure the closed sign is still facing the right way when you leave,” Veronica called after him. She waited until she’d heard the door slam shut and released a long breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. There was honestly nothing she wanted to do more than sit among the boxes and shut her eyes, even for a tiny bit, but she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to stop. Stopping involved thinking and she didn’t want to do that just yet.

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She snapped back to consciousness at the sound of the bell, frowning in confusion as she’d swear on her pearl necklace that she’d locked it. Groaning softly, she lifted her head from her hands. Mascara was smudged across her cheek, she knew it, but the dwindling energy she had couldn’t be wasted on raising a hand to her face to clean it up. “We’re shut.” It came out quieter than she wished, but she was sure they still heard her.

“What are you still doing here?”

Veronica rolled her eyes and turned her head to see Jughead perching on the back of the seat with the slightest bit of concern swimming in his eyes. She ignored it.

“Cleaning,” she mumbled back.

“It’s late.”

She nodded, trying to open her eyes without causing damage. “I’m aware.”

“2am to be exact.”

“Then why the fuck are you here?” she snapped impatiently. Her head was pounding and the silence of the diner was putting an unhealthy amount of pressure on her ears. She just wanted to be alone, and if the world was going to force company upon her, she wished for anyone but the cocky serpent prince who was gate-crashing her naptime.

Jughead ignored her question. “We could’ve helped you. You know that?”

“I don’t need your help.” She stood up, using the table as leverage to shuffle across the floor but Jughead clasped onto her upper arm steadily, both stopping her from walking away and keeping her from crumbling onto the floor.

“What’s wrong Ron?”

She glared at him. “Why do you keep asking me that?”

“Dad told me about the room downstairs.” He regarded her closely as he continued, watched her swallow quickly and divert her eyes around the room. “Wanna tell me about that?”

“Not really, no,” she said, clearing her throat. “I shouldn’t have even told him.”

“Why the hell would you need a backup living situation?”

“Why the hell do you think Jughead?” He just quirked up an eyebrow. She stood up, leaning in close. “You, of all people, should have some idea of what my fucking family is capable of.”

A cold shiver ran down Jughead’s spine, not at remembering what happened to him, but imagining the same thing happening to the girl in front of him. After being sceptical of her, frustrated at her, sometimes wondering if he still genuinely loathed her, the thought of Veronica lying bloody in a field where no one could find her still made bile rise in his throat and the fiercely protective side of him jumped out. “What’s he said to you?”

“Nothing.”

“Then-”

“Because it’s very possible that my dad might throw me out, okay Jughead? Because he’s pissed that I ruined his plans over a serpent. Because I brought the Wyrm from under his nose and forced him into a corner.”

Jughead pulled on her arm, guiding her to sit back down before jumping down into the booth properly, opposite her, frowning. “What exactly did you do Veronica?” he looked at her with vigilant eyes, the same cool blue present that studied her on the first day she’d told the core 4 that Pop’s now belonged to her. She’d changed a lot during the month, things had become harder to conceal. Her strength had begun to ebb away.

She shrugged. “Traded the Wyrm and my place in the family for Pops.”

“What do you mean traded your place in the family?” he asked carefully, leaning forward, posture no longer so relaxed.

She shrugged again. “Trust funds, credit cards, my legacy. Money. In all walks of life.”

Jughead looked down at the table. “Is this including basic needs of life, like y’know, food?”

“Put it this way, I have already done a calorie count on all of the food on Pop’s menu.” There was a crack in her voice halfway through the sentence that caused Jughead’s head to snap up with a frown deeper than before. “Gotta keep my skin clear and flourishing of course.”

“Veronica?” he said gently, reaching a hand over to hers.

She shook her head, moving her hand before he could reach it with her eyes trained on her lap. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” “Just for crying and shit in front of you,” she sniffed and looked up, eyes red and watery. “It’s disgusting,” she chuckled.

He didn’t laugh back, just let his eyes take in every inch of her frame as she struggled to stay together in front of him. “Does your dad know what you’re doing here?”

Veronica shrugged and shook her head.

“Does he know you’re working with us?”

She shrugged and shook her head again.

“What does he know?”

She repeated her actions. He nodded, eyes still not leaving her, inviting her to speak.

“I haven’t spoken to him.”

“For a whole month?”

She laughed and sniffed. “Extra I know. He likes his theatrics.”

“You’re talking to the boy who made himself homeless. Dramatics runs thick in my blood.”

She made a quiet choking sound and a sob ripped through the quiet room. “I think I might be family-less?”

Jughead’s eyes started to sting at the sight in front of him. Never in his life would he have expected to see The Veronica Lodge break down so violently in front of him, had he heard her sound so desperately vulnerable.

“Ronnie…”

“Everyone in that damn house is ignoring me. Even the cleaners. It’s like he’s trying to isolate and starve me until I crack. Until I go all batshit crazy and do something stupid and I won’t let that happen. He can’t win, because if he wins it means he’s broken me and I can’t-”

“You’re in a really dangerous situation Ron.”

“My biggest fear was always losing myself. If I’m not a lodge, what am I? What the fuck am I?”

“A human with a heart?” he reached for her hand again, letting his thumb stroke over her knuckles.

“I needed Pops. For Riverdale. For the serpents. For you?” she sniffed and shook her head with a soft smile. “This is becoming way too soft for me I’m getting uncomfortable.”

“For me?”

She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Jughead. My dad tried to kill you. You deserve to at least have some stupid little safe space. I can’t begin to fix what my dad has done, but I wanna try and make things easier on you lot. You’ve been through enough and you didn’t deserve any of it.”

“So if he throws you out, you’re gonna just live in the basement of Pops? Because of me?”

“Let’s call it the speakeasy so my life doesn’t sound so dire,” she laughed huskily and sniffed again. “I can’t believe I’m crying over some designer shoes,” she laughed. “And in front of you, fuck off.”

“Ron, we know it’s more than that.”

“Nah. I’m pretty sure it’s just over shoes.” Her voice cracked at the end and Jughead felt his eyes start to water. “And just to save your sorry little ass. What was I thinking?” she joked.

“You threw away your financial security, your family name and your fucking stability for me.”

It sounded more like a statement than a question so Veronica nodded and chuckled softly. “Putting it like that does make it sound pretty extra of me.”

He just stared at her, mouth slightly open with a tear falling slowly as he watched the girl in front of him tremble with emotion and sheer loneliness, and moved to hold her hand tightly. “You are incredible, Veronica Lodge.”


End file.
